Belize (formerly British Honduras) is home to the highest percentage of African ancestry in Central America. 30% of its population are Creoles, primarily of African, Scottish, and English descent.
Garínagu (the plural word for Garifunas) are descendants of indigenous Arawak, Kalinago (Island Carib), and West Africans who hail from the island of Saint Vincent. The Garifuna people account for an additional 7% of the country’s population. Totaling approximately 81,000 persons of African descent!
The Garínagu are a tight-knit community and openly celebrate their cultural identity despite their years of hardships. Most notable about the Garifuna people is their ancestors were never enslaved, which is a significant source of pride for them. In this post, I share nine fun ways to immerse yourself in the Garifuna culture in Belize.
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This is the first post in the Belize travel series. Here’s the complete 10-part series:
Belize Travel Series
For The Culture: 9 Ways to Experience Garifuna Culture
Food: 10 Delicious Foods To Try in Belize
Travel Guide: The Complete Ambergris Caye Guide: What To Do, See & Eat
Packing Tips: The Complete Packing List for Ambergris Caye
Travel Tips: 12 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Ambergris Caye
Inspiration: 21 Photos to Inspire You to Visit Belize
Snorkeling Guide: The Ultimate Guide to Snorkeling the Hol Chan Marine Reserve
Ambergris Caye Bucket List: 17 Best Things To Do in Ambergris Caye
Belize City: How to Spend 48 Hours in Belize, City: 7 Best Things To Do
San Pedro: 9 Ridiculously Cheap or Free Things To Do in San Pedro
9 Activities to explore the incredible Garifuna culture in Belize
Belize City
Belize City is an important industrial hub and the most populous city in the country. Most visitors fly into the international airport in Belize City and venture off to other parts of the country.
1. Tour the Luba Garífuna Museum
Filled with the country’s first collections of Afro-Caribbean Garífuna artifacts, discover the history of the Garinagu people from St. Vincent and Central America. Here you will see unique art and crafts, musical instruments, books, utensils, photographs, etc.
Sebastian Cayetano, the owner and founder of this 20-year-old museum, happily shows you around, explaining the rich culture and heritage of the Garifuna people.
Dangriga Town
Located in the southern part of the country, Dangriga Town has the largest population of Garifuna people and is considered the heart and soul of Belize. In Dangriga Town, the Garifunas do an incredible job of maintaining their culture, which can be witnessed today through song, dance, food, and language.
2. Visit the Gulisi Garifuna Museum
This Garifuna museum is named in honor of a Garifuna woman who migrated to Belize with her 13 children and founded the Punta Negra region.
Stop here to learn about the migration of the Garifuna people from Africa to Belize, their customs, and traditions. You’ll also get to witness drum performances and traditional dancing. Who knows, you might be able to join in the fun! On your way out, don’t forget to check out the garden filled with traditional plants and herbs!
3. Explore the local art at Cayetano Gallery
This is the perfect place to spend an afternoon taking in a variety of Garifuna canvas paintings, artifacts, textiles, and vibrant murals.
The owner, Pen Cayetano, a renowned musician and artist, and his wife, Ingrid, offer food tours, Garifuna drumming sessions, and art and music workshops for children. For a more authentic and personalized experience, Garifuna drumming sessions are available individually or as a group.
TIP: Don’t forget to stroll through the backyard and admire the herbs and tropical fruit trees. Before leaving Dangriga Town, check out Pen Cayetano’s mural “Hayawadina Wayunagu.”
Barranco Village
Barranco is one of Belize’s smallest and most remote villages, located in the Toledo District, with about 130 residents. While the village is small, it’s packed with rich Garifuna culture.
The town doesn’t have restaurants, hotels, or guesthouses. There is one small local convenience store, but that’s about it. I recommend including Barranco as a day trip as it’s about an hour and a half away from Punta Gorda, which can accommodate guests.
4. Stop by the Barranco House of Culture (Lan Barangu Luban Garifunaduaü)
This center is filled with clothing, farming, and fishing samples. Here you’ll have the chance to learn about the history and culture.
Hopkins
Hopkins, recently named “The Friendliest Village in Belize,” is another small Garifuna village on the coast of the Stann Creek District. Filled with lots of mom-and-pop restaurants, small bars, and shops that offer a chill beach vibe. The town sits just south of Dangriga town. Hopkins is considered the cultural capital of the Garifuna people in Belize.
5. Enjoy Traditional Garifuna Cuisine
You can taste local dishes at many restaurants in Hopkins. Most of the dishes consist of cassava bread, hudut (mashed plantains and fish coconut stew) and bundiga (fresh snapper and coconut), rice and beans, potato salad with a choice of beef, chicken, pork, lobster, shrimp, and gibnut (game meat). Gibut, game meat, is considered a national dish in Belize.
If you’re looking for recommendations, be sure to check out 5 Garifuna must-eats! No trip is complete without sampling at least one traditional Garifuna meal!
6. Spend the day at the Garifuna Cultural & Culinary Adventure
If you want to completely immerse yourself in Garifuna culture, add this tour to your list! This 3-hour tour starts on Kalipuna Island, located at the north end of Hopkins Village Belize, accessible by boat.
Some of the tour highlights include: dressing in traditional Garifuna clothing, an authentic cooking experience, and wandering through herbal gardens and cassava patches.
This ideal activity is perfect for families, solo travelers, couples, and group trips! However, remember that eight people is the maximum number of people who can experience the tour at a time. If you don’t participate in any of the activities I mentioned above, then be sure to add this activity to day 1 of your itinerary!
7. Take Punta Dance Lessons
While visiting Kalipuna Island, don’t miss out on the opportunity for local musicians and dancers to teach you traditional Punta dance moves. This activity will surely move your body to the melodic beats of Gunjai, Paranda, Punta, and Chumba of the Garifuna drums.
If dancing isn’t your thing, then singing lessons are also available! As I mentioned above, the tour is limited to only eight people at a time. So be sure to factor that in if you’re traveling with a large group.
8. Make A Traditional Garifuna Drum
If you’re like me and appreciate unique souvenirs, then look no further; you’ve come to the right place!
This tour offers you the extraordinary opportunity to make your own personalized Garifuna drum with a master drum maker. After you’re done, stick around for the 1-hour drumming lesson, where you can learn drumming techniques. This activity is pricer than other activities, so plan and budget accordingly.
NOTE – This tour offers complimentary hotel pickup only in Hopkins village or Dangriga.
9. Join in on the fun at Yurumein
If you’re visiting Hopkins Village or Dangriga town in mid-November (November 19th, to be exact), then don’t miss out on the incredible opportunity to celebrate the Garifuna Settlement Day in Belize.
This national day is unique because it symbolized the arrival of the Garinagu people to Belize in 1802. Activities start early in the morning with Yurumein (Homeland), a reenactment of the Garinagu descendants arriving on the country’s shores by boat.
Once the Yurumein is finished, join the locals as they parade down the streets listening to electronic rhythmic beats of drums and dancing. I didn’t get the chance to visit Hopkins during my stay in Belize, but please believe that southern Belize will be the first place I will go to next time!
Conclusion – Lady Chin’s Two Cents
I had no idea just how much there is to learn about the country’s rich African culture and heritage. An overwhelming sense of pride came over me to see the Garifuna people maintain their roots and share their cultural experiences with the world.
Belize has so much to offer; I wish I knew about Hopkins and Dangriga Town before visiting. Connecting with my distant relatives in the Americas and Caribbean is high on my bucket list for obvious reasons! Holidays are, of course, meant to be fun and relaxing (most of the time). However, I always like to add educational or cultural activities to my itinerary.
If you’re planning a visit to Belize, or it’s on your bucket list, I hope this post inspires you to add experiencing the Garifuna culture to your list of must-dos during your stay!
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